No. 12 Ranked Farmingdale Dalers Team Preview

Continuing with the LILJ top 25 preseason rankings, coming in at number 12 are the Farmingdale Dalers. For the last two years this is a team that has been one of the final two teams standing in Class A in the state of New York, with back-to-back appearances in the State Championship game, but they are still seeking their first title since 2011 after coming short by just one goal in overtime last year. The Dalers are coached by Eric Dunne who is now entering year two as head coach.

This year Farmingdale is without three of their top scorers from a season ago in Brendan O’Keefe, Sal Posillico and Caden Lennon, meaning that it will be incumbent of those that are returning to provide even more production this season. Offensively the team returns juniors Cuinn Sunde and Josh Kama and senior Dean Kott. All three were instrumental in their success all season with 34 points from Sunde at attack, 23 from Kama playing midfield and 29 from Kott as an attack/middie. Also among their returning players on offense includes seniors Jake Mangio, and Kevin Renneisen, junior Sean Schumeyer and freshman Jack Watrous. At the face-off X it will be junior LIU commit JJ Damo as the one getting the ball to their offense. As a sophomore Damo won 220 face-offs with a winning percentage of nearly 60%.

The defense which has always been the calling card for the Dalers returns long poles Michale Galgano the junior UMass commit, and Matthew Ippoliti the senior heading to LIU. Last season saw Galgano scoop up 26 ground balls and Ippolit secured 34 off the ground. In the cage this year as the starter looks to be senior Matt Hughes (Bridgeport) as he replaces 2024 graduate Jimmy Caputo who was a brick wall with 233 saves. Hughes played a small sample size last season and stopped 17 shots with a save percentage of 68%. As a team the Dalers defense allowed a shade over six goals per game, a number that they would love to replicate this season.

The regular season gets going with four straight non-league games against North Shore on March 26th, Huntington on March 29th, Long Beach on April 1st, and Mepham on April 7th, before playing their first league game in the power conference on April 11th against Carey.